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Saturday, 15 December 2018

This week the Scribbler has a
guest all the way from Nashville, Tennessee. Aurora has exciting news
to share with us, and she has agreed to participate in a 4Q Interview
and share an excerpt from her new novel – Soul Taker. See below for
links.

My
name is Aurora Jean Alexander. I grew up in a family involved in
politics and was blessed with an excellent education in several
countries, holding a bachelor’s degree in BA. I was very lucky. I’m
living by myself with three cats, working a full-time job and I am a
new Paranormal Romance/Fantasy author. Currently, I work on a series
with 13 books. My first book has been published today.

4Q:
From following you on Facebook, I sense the excitement of your
upcoming novel. Please tell us about Soul Taker. (

AJA:

Soul
Taker is the first book in “The Council Of Twelve” series.

After
long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker,’ Kate is worn
out.

When
she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above,’ she accepts her
new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is
one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.

Along
with Raphael, she takes on her new task, and the connection between
them grows.

Raphael
helps, protects and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target
for the Demons of Hell.

Raphael
realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes
him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future
will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.

4Q:
We understand that this is book one is a series. What can you tell us
about what’s coming?

AJA:

I
call it ‘The Council Of Twelve’ series. Basically, the series is
about twelve of the most powerful individuals in existence and their
fight against Evil. The Twelve are fighting this war since the
beginning of time, and it seems the opponents are about to win.
During the series, the Council meets and involves different
characters, people and creatures, each one of them a unique source of
power. They all are able to add to the Council’s strength and
support the Council in the eternal war. Nobody knows who will show
up, when they will show up and what their story is. The new
characters are not to be hired or picked. The development of the
extension to the ‘Council Of Twelve’ isn’t recruitment – it’s
a matter of confidence, bond, and soul.

During
the entire series, we will meet new characters, together with the
known ones. We will also find out more about each one of them as the
series progresses. The fight against Evil is going to be more
difficult with each book. Not only The Council Of Twelve collects
more power. The ‘Other Side’ does too.

4Q:
Please share a childhood anecdote of memory.

AJA:

My
Dad taught his two daughters quite early how to ski. It was one of
the things he loved doing, and we both joined him. Every year, at the
season start he made sure we got a refreshing course with a
professional skiing teacher before our entire family went to amazing
ski resorts on vacation. Our Mom only learned skiing a while into her
marriage and was never the biggest fan of that sport. She preferred
skiing for an hour or two and then go back to the hotel, go for walks
or do other things while her husband and daughters stayed out in the
snow for six or seven hours a day. When we were younger Dad often
left us skiing to ourselves, with clear instructions which ski lifts
we could use and showed us the range where we could ski until he
returned. We knew better than to ignore his orders. Not that it was
ever necessary. We had tons of fun and got better and better, only by
practicing – and laughing.

Many
years in our youth our Dad listed us for ski racing for kids and as
long as we participated in the races were fun. (Even more since
normally one of us won, and the other one was second.) The only thing
we hated about these races was the fact that the hills the race took
place rarely had a decent ski lift. We had to shoulder our skis and
stumble up the hill to the starting point. We still think the race
wasn’t about who was fasted; it was more showing who was least
tired.

I
will always be grateful for these wonderful winters, full of skiing,
laughter and spending time with my sister and my Dad, outside in the
snow.

4Q:
You have been more than kind to your fellow authors for some time now
Aurora sharing their work and writing on your website. Please tell us
about the Writer’s Treasure Chest.

AJA:

Before
I went public as an author, I did some research, and I read it was
recommended for an author to show his/her writing in a blog. In fact,
this was one of the first things I did when I created my author
branding. I decided to ‘build’ a writer’s blog. In my head I
planned to publish great posts, helping other authors with my advice
and recommendations.

Yeah
– wonderful me. HAHA

I’m
realistic enough to understand that I’m only a newbie in this
business. How can I advise someone when I have never been published?
That was the time I had to see I needed the help and support of
experienced authors and bloggers. I connected with amazing authors
and writers; you are one of them, Allan! There are many fantastic,
educational, helpful and supportive posts online, written by
experienced and successful authors. Since they could teach new
authors like me so much better than I can, I spread the word about
interesting posts to other authors – and myself, yes.

My
research told me to connect with other authors on my blog. I opened
Writer’s Treasure Chest to blog tours and guest posts. Finally, I
decided on a ‘Featured Author’ category, and my blog started
growing. I wanted to give back to many talented authors who permitted
me to re-blog their own posts and help me developing ‘Writer’s
Treasure Chest.’

My
blog is still a ‘Writer’s Blog,’ and that’s what it should
be. In the meantime, I occasionally permit myself to publish some
personally important article or blog some humorous posts too. I love
to laugh, and humor is a part of me and my blog.

There
is a widget with a contact form on the right side of ‘Writer’s
Treasure Chest.’ Everyone who feels like becoming a featured author
on my blog is welcome to scroll down and send me a note. And please:
don’t think, the ‘Featured Author’ interview is a one-time
thing, it’s not! I got a questionnaire for returning authors.

An
excerpt fromSoul Taker.

He
looked at me. “Would you ever permit yourself to fall in love?”

I
gave him a warm, sunny grin as I felt I was on safe ground again.
“Sure, why not? If he’s the right Angel. I figure now I wouldn’t
consider it a problem.”

Raphael
seemed confused. “Why are you emphasizing the word ‘now’?”

I
grinned. “I only recently changed jobs. I was sad and depressed
before, and I suppose I was not a friendly and social companion back
in those days. In the meantime, I got the chance to relax, become
more open, more fun to be with and develop my humor, now that I can
be myself, I consider myself able to give a partner what he
deserves.”

Raphael
watched me carefully during my speech. “You seem to have given it
more thought than I expected.”

I
laughed loudly. “In fact, things have changed so much, so quickly,
there wasn’t much time to think about it.”

“And
still, you’re answering so convincedly.”

I
shrugged. “I had too much time before.”

Raphael
nodded. “Does that mean you weren’t sufficiently busy?”

I
laughed. “No, I wasn’t. When I got a call, it was my job to be
there. But it’s not as if I worked around the entire world. I was
never the only one. Other sections were taken over by other angels.
And sometimes we weren’t the ones called, but the other side.”

Raphael
rubbed his chin. “Did that bother you?”

“Yes,
it did. It was painful to listen to these particular souls screaming
and thrashing in despair and fear. But there wasn’t much we could
do.”

At
my response, Raphael was lost in thought but soon found another
question to ask. “Did you ever fight for a soul?”

My
brows furrowed. “Yes. If it was a situation that was undecided I
had to be fast. If I was quick, we had the chance to fight. I think,
during all the centuries, I’ve done my job I had to fight maybe 20
times. And thankfully only lost twice.”

Raphael
nodded. “I got wind of you being horribly injured.”

“Yes,”
I confirmed. “It was a disaster. And even the Warrior Angels
summoned for support were unable to do much. The opponents were too
strong. In the end, they could only save me with my severe injuries.
It took nearly an entire month for me to recover.”

Raphael
whistled through his teeth. “One month! They evidently ripped you
to shreds, didn’t they?”

I
nodded sadly.

The
Archangel comforted me with a hug. “Thank God you’re here, you’ve
got a new job, and there’s not that danger anymore. I’m with you
too.”

“But
you won’t be here forever, will you?” I said with a sigh.

Raphael
laughed. “No, of course not. But that doesn’t mean I’m letting
my students out of my sight once they finished studying. There will
always be a special connection between us, Katie.”

I
smiled happily. “There will? That’s good to hear.”

Raphael
eyed me curiously but remained silent. I was too excited to notice
what I just had revealed

Thank
you so much, Aurora for being our guest and sharing your thoughts and
words.

Thank
you very much for having me, Allan. I really appreciate your support!

For
those wanting to know where you can buy Soul Taker or to
discover more about Aurora try these links:

In
1999 he produced the World’s First Nightclub Security Instructional
Video under the Bouncer's Bible DVD title.

In
2012 Ivan produced the World's first Bouncer produced & performed
music video 'Pain Don't Hurt'? the lyrics written by Ivan.

In
1986 he invented The CRV Child's Riding Belt & was nominated for
an Honorary PhD. from the University of Alberta Canada, in
recognition of his creation of the CRV Riding Belt and its
contribution toward the rehabilitation of paraplegic children.

In
2008 Ivan deployed to IRAQ as a Honeywell Defense Contractor to train
US Army soldiers in a new Stryker Recovery System.

Ivan
has a PhD in Correctional Psychology but considers himself a
'self-educated man'.

Ivan
is an America Mensa member with a WAIS-III IQ of 144.

4Q:
What is the title of your forthcoming novel and tell us about it.

IH:
The Title of my new novel is 'Merlin Ragnarr & The Book of Lies'

Basically
its a Fantasy novel about a one and only college of Viking magic
called “Şeiðrune School of Sorcery”. Only teens of Viking
heritage that possess Şeiðr Blood (Magic blood) can enroll. I made
Şeiðrune School of Sorcery one of the 12 schools of magic from the
world of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series...I use brief references in
my novel under the 'Fair use act' but avoid any plagiarism.

4Q:
This story is quite a bit different from your last novels, Roadhouse
legacy and the Bouncer’s Bibles. What inspired this story?

IH:
I love the writings of JK Rowlings and her Harry Potter series. But I
also have a great love for Viking mythology...Not the crap the movies
put out but REAL Viking myths and legends. So I combined my two
passions into a book series. My school is very different from the
other institutions.

The
students are older, stronger and more physical. All the magic and
rituals are based on REAL Viking Seidr and Rune magic. My books even
have a glossary in the back to translate Old Norse language to
English. You will be able to speak old Norse tongue by the time you
finish the novel!

Lol.

4Q:
Starting from today, what else do you have to do to get your new
story ready when can we expect it to be ready for either per-purchase
or to buy.

IH:
I am just now into my first draft review. Page 79 of 450. Its slow
going because of the fun I'm having with it. But when my wife pry's
it from my fingers..it should be published February 2019.

4Q:
What next for Ivan Holiday, the author?

IH:
Just started Book 2 of 7..... 'Merlin Ragnarr & The Tale of Two'

An Excerpt:

Within the last few years and
as of late, Devilin the Darkmind had become increasingly disgruntle.
He was annoyed and far from content, in regards to the teaching of
Dark Fjölkyngi (magic). He believed and argued strongly, that the
absolute scope of Dark Arts were not being taught nor attained.

That the doctrine of Dark
Fjölkyngi, needed to take a more advantageous path of study and
start exploring the deeper, darker side of Viking Fjölkyngi and
Şeiðr (Rune magic).

The
Morpheus and Elvin knew where their brother was going with this
particular line of thought and voiced their disapproval of his
proposal, straight away. Both brothers warned Devilin, that to
venture deeper into the dark side was to enter the realm of Svartr
Fjölkyngi (Black Magic).

This
level of sorcery was not only dangerous but totally forbidden at
Şeiðrune.

Devilin
argued that he could control the Svartr Fjölkyngi…that together
they could harness its infinite powers and untapped potential.
Morpheus quickly reminded his brother, of the pitiless path of
addiction that awaited those who carelessly ventured down that risky
road. Many who drank from the dark chalice of Svartr Şeiðr suffered
a terrible, tormenting thirst for its malevolence power. Devilin
rebuked his brothers, with a curse and a hiss, he labeled them both,
cowards and fools. Morpheus informed Magus Darkmind, that he alone,
was the elected Headmaster of Şeiðrune… and with that being said,
never would he allow Svartr Fjölkyngi to be taught or even spoken
of, in his school. Morpheus refused to discuss the matter any further
and turned his back on Devilin, putting to rest the debate and his
brother's belligerence.

Magus
Darkmind, took his elder brother's final say, and his back, as an
inexcusable insult, that filled him with blind rage. Devilin pulled a
jewel handled, dagger, made from the fang of a Dragon, from the
inside pocket of his cloak, and headed in Morpheus's direction.

Thank
you Ivan for being our guest this week. For you readers looking for
more information on Ivan and his novels, follow the links below.

Sunday, 2 December 2018

It's a wonderful day to have Ann back on the Scribbler. This is her second visit and she talks about the craft of writing. A special treat awaits you, dear reader, as she shares an excerpt from her latest work, Nightshade.

If you missed Ann's previous visit, you can read more about her and her work by going HERE!

It’s
a tough call, being an artist. It’s like chasing the rabbit down
the rabbit hole, into the unknown. We’re not so afraid of what
we’ll find; rather we are afraid of what we might never find. We
race against ourselves though we don’t always realize it. We are
our own competition. How much deeper does that rabbit hole go? How
close can we get to that rabbit? At any point, we could stop chasing
the rabbit; turn around; change direction. But we don’t. We’re
compelled. Driven. We’re driven to succeed – to create something
– to catch the prize.

It
works like this…

Writing
demands a lot of time, commitment, energy, and an open mind. Defining
your craft is not an easy task; perhaps there is no real need to
define it, but only to accept it for what it is. One word at a time,
one page at a time, a story is born.

As
the author, there are times when I am creating the story, but there
are also times when the story is creating itself and I am simply
jotting the events down on the page as I see/hear them. Achieving
complete emotional identification with the story and one or more
characters is my ultimate goal. This allows me to immerse myself into
a strong, imaginative storyline. Accomplishing this ‘triggers’ my
commitment to the project.

There
are characters that become an extension of you, and this is
especially true about (the character of) Darion Rhys. This journey,
writing this series, has been profound and empowering. Darion and I
have been through a lot together. Conflict is an important subject in
literature. The Rising series explores themes such as identity
crisis, authority and control, rebellion, and love.

Darion
was trained to be a soldier. She was raised to follow rules and to
comply with those in power. She’s never had full control over her
life. She is sixteen in the first book, a sensitive time in life when
raging teenage hormones begin to disrupt our views and opinions about
life, love, and identity. She questions not only the social order,
but the intentions of those around her as well. Darion is on a wild
emotional roller coaster, and it ultimately strengthens and defines
her sense of self.

The
series also looks at the subtleties involved around love triangles.
There are three young men in Darion’s life–one she loves dearly;
one who loves her dearly; and one who has and represents everything a
young lady should be in love with—money, influence, power. Given
her situation, does Darion have the right to fall in love?

Enjoy
this sample from the newest book in the series, Nightshade. A series
of events has placed Darion exactly where her family wanted her—in
a position of influence. But this has also placed her in the clutches
of the Rothwell family, and specifically, on the arm of the youngest
heir, Johnny. After her new title was announced to the world, her
rebel family moved in and rescued her from the Rothwell mansion. She
can be safe now—but for how long?

Ann
Knight books can be ordered by visiting: annknightfiction.com.

An excerpt. (copyright is held by the author. Used with permission)

1

FREE
AT LAST

Dark
black billows of smoke choke the sky. This is my first taste of
freedom in a long time and I’m not sad that it is cutting into my
honeymoon. I didn’t want to marry Johnny. I didn’t want to become
Mrs. Rothwell. Sitting in the back of the helicopter, I feel both
grateful and eager to be heading far away from the craziness that has
held me captive for so long. My father rescued me from the Rothwell
mansion right on time. He couldn’t get me out of there fast enough.
I thought I was going to be doomed forever—Johnny’s wife—but
his prisoner in reality.

The
helicopter is flying over the mountains and I can see the destruction
below us with my own eyes now. Wide pockets of fire incinerate the
forest, devouring the beautiful green space that rebels call home. It
won’t be long before the fire wastes it all. Soon there won’t be
anything left. It breaks my heart. The helicopter veers right, making
my stomach roll. The overhead thrumming of the blades is deafening.
I’m sitting beside another rebel across from my father and a second
rebel that I don’t recognize. My dad’s steel-blue eyes find me,
and even in the dark, I can see the concern and agitation behind
them. I draw in a deep breath, relieved that he came to rescue me in
person. Any other man would have sent someone else to do the job, but
my father would rather have died than to do that. It’s in his
expression now—a dad’s determination and love.

Uncle
John is flying the chopper and though he’s keeping it steady, I’m
still feeling queasy. Maybe that’s because I’ve just been plucked
out of my so-called life for the umpteenth time now. Hopefully this
time I’ll get to stay with my family for good because it’s
annoying to keep going back and forth like this. In one life I get
freedom, in the other confinement. I’d rather a slice of freedom on
any day.

“We’ve
got company!” Uncle John shouts.

“At
least we got a head start!” my father calls back.

I
can see them now. The two black specs in the distance are twin
Gunship Helicopters. They are used by law enforcement in combat
situations and are equipped with AEP’s – Anti-Electronic Pulse
magnets that can send us down pretty quick. We’re in a standard
Squirrel helicopter—it’s light and acrobatic, but it has no
weapon system on board.

“Find
a place to land,” my father instructs, “before they shoot us
down!”

The
chopper veers sharply and I grab onto the side cable until we
straighten out again. I don’t know how we’re going to land in
this mess. We’re cutting through swells of thick black smoke and
it’s wafting into the back of the chopper, choking us. My father
reaches over and pulls the front of my sweater up over my mouth and
nose.

“Brace
yourselves!” Uncle John yells, taking us into a momentary nosedive.
The landing is harsh but it isn’t technically a crash. Uncle John
has flown just about everything and he’s a pro with emergency
landings. Our chopper plummets towards the ground and swooshes
upwards at the last minute. The maneuver catches an updraft and we
hover for a few seconds before we ‘fall’ into park like a toy
drone in the hands of an expert tech. As soon as the landing skids
hit the ground, everyone bails. My father takes my arm and we jump
out after everyone else, meeting Uncle John around the side.

“They’re
here!” Uncle John shouts over the slowing rotors. The two Gunships
have us in sight. We run in the direction of the trees as the
helicopters come down to land next to ours. The tree branches whip me
in the face. I readjust the hoodie on my sweater, losing my balance
as my foot sinks into a patch of softer ground. My sandal snags an
exposed root and I trip, falling face-first on the ground. Pulling my
legs into my chest, I grab my foot and bite down on my lower lip as
pain shoots up my leg.

“Darion,”
my father’s hands are on my shoulders.

“I’m
good,” I strain, getting to my feet. My hands are sticky. I realize
that my foot is bleeding but it’s too dark to make out the wound.
My father wraps his strong arms around me and picks me up. “Dad,
I’m fine!” I protest, but it does no good. He must sense that
something is wrong. He keeps moving with me in his arms and I lay my
head on his shoulder. I’m slowing him down but he doesn’t care.
Rustling footsteps up ahead quicken their pace. We’re following the
sounds made by those ahead of us because it’s too dark to make out
much more than shadows. At least we’re heading in the opposite
direction of the forest fire, though I can still smell the smoke. My
father weaves us around scrubs and bushes so easily. He knows this
landscape like the back of his hand.

“Michael?”
Uncle John calls. “Mike!”

“Over
here!” my dad calls back.

They
catch up and the two other rebels stand next to me as they adjust
their gear. “Can you hear the waterfall?” Uncle John asks,
adding, “The safe house is just over the next ridge.”

“I
hear it.” I nod.

“Michael,
we only have a day before that fire reaches us. Judging by the wind—”

“I
know,” my father cuts him off. “Let’s just get there.” He
sets me down and we start climbing. “Can you walk?”

“Yes,”
I answer.

“Detectives
have combed these woods for at least four months now. They’ve dug
holes and set traps. Many rebels have already been caught. I want you
to be careful.” He nudges me ahead of him and I grope my way around
in the dark, pulling myself up the sloping hillside using every
available branch and root. My foot is stinging. My toes are caked
with mud and grass and I can barely move them.

My
father climbs ahead of me, grabs the back of my sweater, and hauls me
up on top of the ridge. We are about halfway up the mountain. The
moon is full and the sky is like a black chalkboard—completely
starless. Swelling clouds of smoke are slowly drifting towards the
moon, reminding us that the fire is spreading and that we have to
move if we want to survive.

“Do
you see that space between the canopy layers over there?” he asks,
pointing to the area in the distance.

“I
see it.”

“It’s
a small lake where all the streams converge. It’s the only lake
this high up into the mountain. The safe house is just beyond it.”

We
start down the other side of the ridge. My father is completely adept
in this environment but I’m totally exhausted, and by the time we
reach level ground I stumble and fall to my knees.

“I
got you,” my father says, scooping me off the ground.

“Give
her to me,” my uncle tells him. “Hand her over.”

I
feel like a puppet as they pass me around. My uncle puts me over his
shoulder. We start moving and my eyelids get heavy. It’s the lack
of food, I think to myself as I give in and my eyes shut out the
world.

She’s
drained Michael.” I hear my uncle say. It takes a minute for my
vision to adjust after I open my eyes. It’s dawn. The forest is
dull and dim, but I can tell that it’s the start of a new day
because orange beams of light are spearing through the canopy of
leaves over my head.

“

“She
needs to eat something,” my father says. “We have to get her
inside.”

Inside.
I turn my head towards a man-made cave opening. Camouflage netting is
draped around the mouth in the rock. The cover is so good it would be
impossible to see from overhead.

My
father’s lips tug down into a frown. “The fire will reach us in a
day or two, depending on the wind.”

A
sense of foreboding overtakes me. Something feels wrong. I take a
quick glance down at my arms and then pull my jeans up to inspect my
legs. I have no puncture wound, no reason to suspect that I’ve been
injected with a trace.

“What
is it?” my uncle asks.

“They
can’t just let me go—it can’t be this easy.”

“Easy?”
He makes a face. “Glad you thought that was easy.”

What a terrific beginning Ann. This is a story I look forward to reading. Thank you being our guest and sharing the excerpt with us

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Wall of War

Allan Hudson

About Me

My mother taught me to read, to like books, when I was very young. She also taught me how to write. I grew up in the country, even went to a one-room school which was right across the road from our house. She was the teacher. The days I missed were few.

Writing is so much fun and even though I started later in life, I am so happy to realize my dream. Having this blog so I can share other people's work gives me great pleasure.

I've had many adventures in my life. I've travelled throughout North America, gone skydiving, rock climbing, wilderness camping. I craft stained glass and I enjoy woodworking. I'm blessed with many good friends.

I live in the seaside community of Cocagne, New Brunswick, Canada. My wife's name is Gloria. My son's name is Adam and my stepsons' names are Christopher (Mireille) and Mark (Nathalie) Young. My grandchildren are Matthieu, Natasha and Damien. I love them all.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy my blog. You can reach me by leaving a comment and/or your email address and I'll respond.

Family and Friends.

Review of Wall of War

Buy it Here

Wall of War is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Cover to Cover in Riverview, Cocagne Variety in Cocagne and from the author.

The Douglas Kyle Memorial Award for Fiction

My story - The Ship Breakers - received Honorable Mention in the Douglas Kyle Memorial awards for New Brunswick Writers Federation's short story category. Watch for it with the coming selection of short stories to be published in 2018